The Green Monster
by x.Anaphora.x
Summary: She never expected to be the one extracting secrets. She never expected to be the one who was hunted. She never expected to be the one falling for a co-worker. She never expected to be the one who turned into a Green Monster. Arthur/OC.
1. Coming Back

**Disclaimer:: **I don't own the genius work that is Inception. That pleasure belongs to Chris Nolan.

**Author's Note:: **I saw Inception and it was phenomenal. I saw it again and it was still fantastic. I just had to write something and this is what came out. The beginning (as always) may be slow but the plot will runaway on a fantastic adventure and carry us along with it. Each chapter is named for a song that I felt fit with it. (This is not a songfic).

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Eighteen months. That was how long it had been since he was last on an international flight. Eighteen months. That was how long he had been a rich man. Sixteen months. How long he had been living in a house. 1 year. How long it had been since he last got a call to be a point man.

His life had changed after the Fischer job. Once Cobb had decided to exit the dream scene and become a full time father the calls to be a point man had died down. No one wanted half of the team despite the fact that he was the best. But it didn't matter that much to him. He had gotten a steady job, and he was almost as good at it as he was as a point man. He made good money on top of all that he had saved up and what Saito had given him. He no longer lived in hotels and apartments. He owned a house. He had "friends". They got together every other Thursday at 5:30 for drinks at the local bar.

And yet, he was very much the same person as he had been.

He was still structured, still immaculately clean, still reliable old Arthur. Even though he was happy with his new life and its routines, he still found himself missing the old days. He missed the dream sharing. He missed his old line of work. He missed his team. He had loved watching Ariadne, engrossed in a new maze, making sure everything was safe and in working condition. He had loved watching Cobb direct the team, his eyes lighting up whenever a new idea came to him. He had loved it when Yusuf, obviously in his element, had tried patiently to explaining what he was doing with his concoctions to a fairly clueless Eames. He even (although he would never admit to even thinking this) missed Eames and all of his "imaginative" ideas and actions. A part of him missed Saito too, in spite of the fact that he was only one of his many previous employers.

Until one morning, he didn't miss anything. He didn't have to. It was sitting in a town car outside of his front door. There had been a few words in greeting, a warm handshake, a glare, a sarcastic comment, idle talk, and then a flight for three across the ocean. Then they were here, standing in the Paris warehouse. Everything was exactly as they had left it eighteen months ago. Some old sketches were put up on the wall while others littered the floor. The white board was half erased, words pertaining to Fischer could still be read from it. Two chairs were gathered next to an end table while others were gathered in a semi-circle. As if by habit, Arthur and Eames slid into their seats from the last time they had been there. Saito walked around so he stood at the opening of the circle. There was a small, awkward pause.

"So," Arthur began, breaking the silence. He looked up at Saito. His ex/current employer. "You have a new job for the two of us?" It was an odd pairing, but no one else was here.

"Not just you two. I have a job for all of you." He said. "Ariadne is on her way in a car I dispatched. Yusuf will be here in two days time."

"You know, that's what I like about you, Saito." Eames said putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair in a very relaxed manner. Too relaxed if you asked Arthur. "You take care of your employees in style." This earned a smile from Saito.

"I'm glad that my efforts are appreciated. I try-" there was the sound of footsteps and everybody's gaze turned to the newcomer. Ariadne stood there, her eyes sparkling with excitement a large smile on her face.

"Hi." She said simply. Arthur and Eames stood to greet her. She rushed over to them. Eames caught her in a big hug first. "It's great to see you again." She said, stepping back from Eames. "All of you. I've missed you." She moved over to Arthur who took her hand, warmly shaking it. He wore a large smile too. She then turned to Saito smiling brightly as he nodded his head in greeting. Then there was a look of confusion, and her smile faltered. She looked around as if there was some sort of joke they were keeping secret from her. "Where's Cobb?" What was presumably meant to be said in a light voice came out high pitched and rather nervous.

Arthur looked at her and sighed. "He's retired." He said gently.

"Oh." She said softly looking at her feet.

"Cobb is a family man now." Eames announced, seemingly unaware of Ariadne's disappointment. "Been away too long, doesn't want to spend a second away from his kids." Eames sat back down in his seat.

"The Fischer job was his last." Arthur said, his smile gone.

A look passed over Ariadne's face with all of the information that was suddenly forced upon her. "So we need a new extractor." Ariadne said after a few seconds. She seemed to be trying to wrap her head around this concept that the one who brought her into this wonderful world of dreams would no longer be a part of it.

"There are plenty of them out there. Good ones too if you know where to look." Eames supplied. "Why just five months ago I met this chap named Danes, I think. An absolute pleasure to work with. Wonderful imagination. Finished the job quickly and successfully. I think he's in jail now though…" he rubbed his head.

"We will need time to find one, but if we don't find anyone trustworthy or good enough one of us will have to do it." Arthur said.

"I'll give you a month to find someone, but after that you must move on with the job." Saito responded. "Which should not be difficult after the Fischer job."

"Breaking into someone's mind is always difficult." Arthur said sitting back into his seat. Ariadne followed suit. "What are we looking at here?"

"Have you heard of Greenberg Enterprises?"Saito asked the three slowly nodded their head yes. "They have some wonderful ideas coming out now, don't you think? There's only one problem: they're my ideas. Greenberg Enterprises has been finding out about Proclus Global's secrets and plans. They are producing them, faster, cheaper, and environmentally friendlier. They are beginning to turn people against Proclus Global. I need to find out where they are getting their information from and why they have targeted us. Once we find the leak we can take care of plugging it." Saito finished. "Are you up to it?"

Arthur looked at Eames and Ariadne. There was no need to discuss the proposal. "Are you coming with us again?" he asked a slight smile on his lips.

**_~Two weeks later~_**

They were halfway through the month with no luck so far at finding an extractor perfect for the job. They had seen many people for the job, but there was always a flaw. He had sold out his entire group for an extra thousand. He had a history of hating women. He had a low success rate and was constantly in hiding. He had no ex- co-workers or ex-employers were around to question. It was turning out to be impossible to find a replacement for Cobb. He had just been too good at his job and too good of a person. He had big shoes to fill, and there was no Cinderella (or the male equivalent) coming along to fit the glass slipper.

In frustration of their lack of success finding an extractor the team had become deeply immersed in their jobs. Eames hardly showed up to work as he was away at Greenberg Enterprises learning all he could about the various employers there. Ariadne was so absorbed by her designs that she often forgot to eat. Although there was no set plan yet as to how heavy the sedative would have to be, Yusuf spent many hours coming up with new solutions for varying lengths. Arthur was trying to dig up every bit of information he could about the targets. He didn't want any surprises like with the Fischer Job. Never again would he be unprepared. His research this time would be solid. Arthur spent days and days pouring over every little detail he could find, often times not even bothering to go home for the night. He wanted to uncover every little useful tidbit, every dark secret, and every hidden danger. In his research one name came up over and over again. _Brigitte L. Thayer_. She had been paid a vast sum of money by Greenberg Enterprises, and had been in constant communication with them. Her name was still on their records, but communication wise they had abruptly stopped talking not too long ago. Arthur didn't know what to make of her. Eames had never heard her mentioned in his time observing. Ariadne didn't recognize the name from seeing it around as an important person. She seemed to be some sort of phantom in Greenberg Enterprise's past. Very much there and then gone.

Then he found her _and _the reason she disappeared.

Eames had decided to show up to work today and take a little break from Greenberg Enterprises. Ariadne had been wrenched away from her mazes long enough, and Yusuf had just finished testing his latest piece of work. Arthur finished writing on the dry erase board. His handwriting in a careful, neat print.

"Brigitte L. Thayer?" Ariadne asked playing with the fringe on her scarf. Arthur nodded.

"I've solved the mystery as to who she is." He said writing something else under her name. Eames groaned.

"Subconscious Security specialist." he sighed. "They've been trained."

"She's done all of the training of Greenberg Enterprises important employees, including Albert and Roland Greenberg themselves. She is our extractor." Arthur said

"She's on the wrong side." Eames pointed out. "Probably a goody two shoes. I doubt that she'd want to join our line of work."

"Why would she willingly turn against her previous employer? It would be like all of her hard work training them was for nothing." Yusuf put in.

"Revenge." Arthur said smiling a little. "She had a small issue with Roland Greenberg. Accused him of sexually harassing and stalking her. She finished their training to get paid, but I imagine she wasn't too happy about it."

"I still don't think that she'd do it." Ariadne said shaking her head. "I know I wouldn't want to spend a minute in the head of someone who I felt uncomfortable with. God forbid I had to get close to them for the job."

"She wouldn't have to get close to him though. She would just have to be in his dreams. We could run with Mr. Charles, only she really is the head of his sub-security. Brigitte L. Thayer is the easiest way to get our information." Arthur pressed. "And if she _was_ willing to utilize the previous connections, slipping the sedative and coming up with a time and place could be easy. She offers to meet Roland somewhere, has a few drinks, slips in the sedative and we're in. We would have to go two or three levels deep just like the Fischer job."

"I thought we didn't want to repeat that." Ariadne objected. "It was too dangerous. Some of us fell into Limbo, and we're lucky that we came out with our minds intact. If someone gets stuck in Limbo without Cobb there to save them….there's no telling what would happen."

"I am working on something new." Yusuf said slowly. "A few days ago I had this idea, and I think that I might have found a way to cut out Limbo. I still need to do a lot of work, but if I should succeed…." He trailed off.

"I suppose seeing her around at work every day wouldn't be too bad." Eames said eyeing the picture of her taped on the board. "Having _two_ stunningly beautiful girls around the warehouse might be exactly what we need." Ariadne flushed.

"We should meet her first. Then offer her the job. We can get a little feel for what she's like that way." Ariadne suggested.

"It's settled than. I'll arrange a meeting with her, and if she passes I'll bring her back here so we can all explain it to her. She may need a little convincing." Arthur announced. He had found Cinderella.

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**Author's Comment:: ** The song is "Coming Back" by Gotye. If you go and listen to the song I was thinking of it in terms of Arthur and Dream Sharing. This chapter was a bit all over the place, but I wanted to get a basic layout of the plot down before I jumped into the story. Next chapter we meet this mysterious Brigitte L. Thayer, who actually turns out to be the main character. Reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Doors

**Disclaimer:: **Still don't own Inception…

**Author's Note:: **Here's Brigitte and Arthur. In an elevator. The bold is when a character speaks in a language other than English. All of the bold in this chapter is French. Also I mistimed the release of this story with two days before I go on vacation, so for about a week there won't be anything new. I'll still be writing as much as possible though.

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Brigitte was intrigued by the letter she had received from Mr. Walker. There were a few things about it that just seemed…odd. It wasn't the fact that it was in English; she had had multiple English clients. No, it was the lack of description. There were no pleasantries really. The letter was too the point. Mr. Walker and his associates might possibly be in need of her services. Before they trusted with this job to share their dreams and secure their inner thoughts (at least that's what she assumed they were talking about, there was no real description of what they wanted from her) they wanted to meet her first. Or, Mr. Walker wanted to meet her first. Whoever he was. She had never met anyone who gave out so little information. Something in the pit of her stomach made her nervous, and yet here she was. She had bought a room at the hotel he suggested they meet at, and was now sitting outside of the elevator doors, waiting to be taken to her floor.

She figured the reason he wanted to meet her at the hotel was so that if she passed the initial "trust" meeting, he'd want to see what she could do. A secure hotel room was the perfect place for a "try out". However, instead of going into an unfamiliar room that no one could get into with a man she'd never met before, she had booked her own room.

The doors slid open revealing one man. He was dressed in a business suit with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He had a cool and collected look about him as he casually leaned against the wall. Brigitte stepped in, smoothing her own grey pencil skirt and adjusting her handbag. As people began to pile in after her, she found herself standing next to the man who had been there before. She didn't notice the small smile that crossed his face. The doors closed and the elevator started to move up.

"Bonjour." He said politely.

"Bonjour." She replied. There was silence as she stared pointedly ahead, trying not to notice how close everyone was standing and how good looking he was. The doors slid open and a few people got out. Some had to push their way out from close to the back.

"**I'm glad that I don't have to get out anytime soon**_." _ He noted and she smiled, looking up at him.

"**Me too. In fact, I still have quite a few floors to go.**" She said looking up as the numbers lit.

"**What floor are you on?**" An innocent enough question.

"**Twelfth. You?**" she wasn't sure why she asked. That was a lie; she knew exactly why she asked. He smiled a light smile.

"**Eighth.**"

"**So if out of the two of us, you're the most likely to run into trouble.**" She highly doubted he was the type of guy who ran into trouble. He seemed too….clean, for a business like that. As it was she was here for a nearly illegal business that caused a lot of trouble. At least, in her past experience it did.

"**It would seem so.**" He turned his head to face the steel doors as they once again opened to let people off. "**But I think that I'll be ok. Most of the people are off anyway and I still have two floors to go.**"

"**Well then I'm in really good shape.**" She smiled brightly, despite the fact that he wasn't looking. He nodded with his cool somewhat smile still in place. The elevator emptied on the seventh floor save one person. Brigitte fought off the urge to comment. The doors once again closed and in a few seconds they were on the eighth floor.

"**It was nice meeting you**." Brigitte said as the man started to exit. He stopped and turned his head around.

"**You too.**" he commented before getting off of the elevator. Brigitte waited for the doors to close before she pressed the "5" button.

She wasn't quite sure why she had lied to him. He didn't seem that bad. Yet she could never be too careful. It was something she had learned during her training to be a Subconscious Security specialist. Some of the nicest people had the darkest secrets, and so she automatically put up a barrier to protect herself from any harm. But did she really lie to protect herself, or had she just wanted more time to converse? There was no denying the fact that he was good looking. Brigitte pushed her thoughts into the back of her head. There was no use worrying over her actions towards a man that she'd probably never see again in her life. The doors opened again and Brigitte stepped out into the hallway looking for her room number. She had bigger problems to deal with. Like her meeting in two hours with Mr. Walker.

Her last job as a Sub-Security specialist had not been too pleasant. Despite the fact that she believed Greenberg Enterprises was a fantastic energy company that was taking steps in the right direction, she could not stand the actual Greenbergs. Albert Greenberg was the type of man who thought he was better than everyone else, and therefore, everything had to be done _his _way. It didn't matter that Brigitte was the one who had the training as the Extractions. He knew how to do everythingbetter, and when he wasn't listened to he had these horrible temper tantrums like a four year old. It was nearly impossible to work with.

Roland was a completely different nightmare. He was always touching her and being sugary sweet to her. He often brought presents of "thanks "and spent a lot of time just _staring_ at her. While at first she had assumed he was trying to make up for his brother, she realized quickly afterwards that she was wrong. His touches became more inappropriate, and he began to follow her home because she "forgot something" (that was never actually hers). But Roland wasn't just a creep; he was dangerous. He had a horrible temper. She had been there a few times when he was crossed and never wanted to be on the receiving line. Unfortunately for her, when he didn't see her with one of the things he bought her, he got upset. Very upset. It had never escalated into anymore than shouting, but it was enough to make her worry. So when she finished that job, she got out of the country and moved to different apartment in Paris. Sure they could find her if they really wanted to, but moving made her feel safer. If Mr. Walker gave off even remotely similar vibes as the Greenberg brothers, she would be out of there. No matter how much money he offered.

Brigitte had made her way to her room and slipped the key in the lock before walking in. The hotel was absolutely beautiful. She immediately walked into a living room area. To the right was a small kitchen area, along with a table. To the left was a raised platform with a bed, two end tables and a dresser. The bathroom door could also be seen from next to the platform. Brigitte dropped herself onto the couch, kicking off her shoes the moment she hit the comfortable leather. Less than two hours until she met the mysterious Mr. Walker in the hotel bar. She had no idea that she had already met him.

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Author's Comment:: ** So originally this and the actual meeting were going to be one chapter but then I feared it would be too long, so I decided to break it up. The song is "Doors" by Maltby & Shire's _Closer Than Ever_. Just because she has this new opportunity ahead of her and if you do get to listen to the music or at least read the lyrics, it fits a lot.


	3. Nobody's Side

**Disclaimer:: **Inception isn't mine. It's Chris Nolan. This is just a fan made story.

**Author's Note:: **I'm back from vacation! Yay! I used the song Nobody's Side from the musical Chess for this chapter. It sort of fits, and sort of doesn't, but you'll see when you read it. Also, I'd like to thank WhatsGoingOn for asking about who I thought would portray Brigitte. To answer, I pictured Gemma Arterton as Brigitte and put a picture on my profile of her for y'all to see.

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Brigitte stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. She had left early enough to be exactly seven minutes early. An odd number, sure, but it was the perfect number if one took the time to think about it. People were usually five minutes early, almost to the point where showing up five minutes early was being on time. Seven minutes early was early enough not to be waiting around for a long period of time, should the meeting actually be held on time. If the other party did, as expected, turn up five minutes early she still had two minutes to study her surroundings and prepare for the meeting. It was ample time to have a few thoughts to herself as well as look relaxed and collected before the person arrived.

Brigitte brushed her skirt (which she had changed into a long-ish, flowing dark blue skirt) and pulled up the neckline of the long-sleeved, sleek white shirt with a scoop neck. Her hair was pinned up in a knot of curls with a few stray ones spilling out to brush the back of her neck. It wasn't exactly what she would look like on a job, but the least amount of attention she and her deals got the better.

The doors slid open and Brigitte clicked out in her boots, making her way to the bar. As she walked past, some people glanced up, but most didn't even acknowledge the fact that she was there. She arrived at the bar exactly seven minutes early. Pleased with herself, she allowed her lips to turn up into a small smile as she looked out at the bar with a calculating glance. It was fairly full; most seats in the room being occupied save for a few single seats open here and there. Standing up on her tippy toes she looked over the crowd again. Across the room she could see two open seats next to a brunette who obviously getting played by the blonde man next to her. Brigitte could tell by his wide gestures and constant sipping of his beer that he was telling some sort of action story. It was the perfect seating. Neither one of them would care very much at the business taking place next to them. He was too busy trying to get her into his hotel room, and she was too busy being dragged into his stories. Brigitte lowered herself back onto the floor and quickly made her way to the seats placing her purse in one and sliding into the other.

**"So, like, you're really a fighter pilot?"**

**"That's right."** He took another sip of beer. If he even _was_ a pilot he probably carried mail. Brigitte ordered a drink before continuing to listen in and wait. It was stress relieving.

**"You know, my brother's in the army."**

**"Is he?"** Sudden fear. Brigitte giggled into her hand as her drink arrived. She glanced at her delicate wristwatch. If all was on time he would be here in four minutes. If he were early he could show up any second. She looked around the bar before being distracted again by the brunette.

**"No, we got into a fight. He was too protective."**

**"Well that doesn't make any sense, you're an adult."**

**"That's what I said!" **

"Miss Thayer, you're early." Brigitte glanced at her watch. There was three minutes until their set meeting time.

"A similar attribute." Brigitte turned in her seat to face…no. A small breath of surprise escaped her. "_You're_ Mr. Walker?" she asked more than a little shocked. He was not what she expected.

The man from the elevator shook his head. "I'm the person who _claims_ to be Mr. Walker." He corrected. "That was just a precaution." There were two conflicting feelings in Brigitte's gut. On the one hand she had a sick feeling in her gut. He had lied to her twice already. He had given her a false name and pretended not to know who she was in the elevator. On the other hand, he wore the suit well. But he had deceived her and trust was important. Maybe there was a reason. Maybe he worked in a very important, secret, government company…

"Then who are you? What's your company? What do you want?" she couldn't stop the questions from spilling out. He smiled, or rather lifted the corners of his mouth the lightest bit.

"My name is Arthur. I'm not a part of a company per se, but I do work for a man named Saito. I have a…unique proposition for you. It's a little bit out of your normal area of work." The feeling in her gut got worse.

"How far?" she asked, trying to maintain her confident appearance.

"**Why don't you come up to my room?**"

"Not far at all really. We are interested in a reversal job. From your previous work." Brigitte blinked.

"Do you mean...? Are you talking about…? You want me to be an _extractor_?" she asked incredulous.

**"I do have a photo shoot tomorrow."**

"Put simply, yes." The man, Arthur, said nodding. The bartender brought him a drink. When had he even ordered it?

"I'm sorry, but no. I can't." Brigitte said, getting off of her stool. "I had a bad feeling even coming here, and…I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but my answer is no." She began to move from the bar. Brigitte didn't care how good looking he was or how much money he offered. She was not an extractor. She trained people against them.

"If you had a bad feeling why did you come?" She stopped in her tracks. Which truth to reply with? There was the fact that she was intrigued by the mysteriousness, or the fact that she loved her job so much that risks became irrelevant, or…

"My gut has been wrong before." She said not even turning to face him. Brigitte continued her progress towards the door only to be stopped again.

"Like with Roland Greenberg?" this time she slowly turned around to face him. His face was extremely passive. It was infuriating, intriguing, and alluring.

"How do you know about Roland Greenberg?" she asked walking back to her seat quickly. She didn't' sit but rather stood and faced him. "What exactly do you do again?"

"I am in the business of Extraction." He said calmly.

"If you are an extractor than why come to me?"

"Because I'm not an extractor. I'm a point man." He replied. Brigitte ran through her mind, remembering something in her training about the roles of an extractor's team. "Our team is in need of an extractor and you are perfect for the job." He insisted.

"Me?" Brigitte asked. "I'm sorry but you have been misinformed. I'm just a Sub-Security Extractor. I do test runs and other trivial things to build the principles. I'm good at my job, but I don't think I could help you out even if I wanted to."

"Miss Thayer, do you understand exactly what I'm offering. This is a once in a lifetime chance at revenge without consequences. "

"Revenge? Who would I have any grudge against that I could possibly-" she stopped mid sentence her thoughts travelling back to earlier in the conversation.

_"We are interested in a reversal job. From your previous work."_

"The Greenbergs?" she asked leaning on the bar. "You want me to…the _Greenbergs_? Do you understand how long it took me to train their minds to…Are you an idiot?" he looked a little taken aback by her last comment. "What on earth would possibly make you think that I would willingly throw six months of my life away for revenge?"

"Think about it," Arthur said. He looked the smallest bit perplexed. "Roland made you feel unsafe. He made you move your home. Why wouldn't you want to make him suffer for his wrongs? "

"It is illegal. What kind of revenge would it be if I ended up in jail for it? Then he's got me twice and I'm worse off than I was to begin with." Brigitte hissed. "Besides, why would I want to spend a second more than I have to with the Greenbergs. You seem to be aware of how much I dislike them."

"Saito is willing to give half a million dollars to each person involved in the job. I've worked for him before, and I know he's good on his word."

"Well what happened to your team from before?" Brigitte asked.

"Everyone is back on this job except for our extractor. He has been reunited with his family in America. His wife passed, and he doesn't want to leave his children parentless."

"Oh." Brigitte sobered for a moment. There was an awkward pause.

"**Well I guess I can stay for a little.**"

"I'm sorry that I can't help you. I really am. My answer won't change no matter how much I hate the Greenbergs. I really hope you find someone good enough to break in and get whatever it is you want, but I'm just not that girl." Brigitte said reaching for her drink to drain the rest of it. "Goodnight, Arthur." With that, she quickly made her way out of the bar before she could change her mind.

Arthur waited on his phone for the other line to pick up. "Arthur?" a voice came through, questioning. He didn't exchange pleasantries; he went straight to the point.

"We may need your help concerning a new extractor."

"I'll be there in a day." The line went dead.

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**Author's Comment:: **So Brigitte is torn about whether or not she should take up the offer. She seems pretty firm in her denial, but will Arthur's call change her mind? I should have the next chapter up soon. I love to read your reviews!


	4. Running Out Of Time

**Disclaimer:: ** Blah blah, Chris Nolan owns Inception. Blah blah, I'm just a fan . Blah blah blah.

**Author's Note:: **I did not expect to be away from this story so long, and I don't even have a good reason for it. Unfortunately I had decided to update today and had a lot to do so this chapter is much shorter than I thought it would be originally. I had a hard time picking a song for this chapter but ultimately chose a song by BarlowGirl, "Running Out of Time".

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It was almost 41 hours after Brigitte's meeting with the mysterious point man named Arthur, and she still couldn't make up her mind about his offer. At the time she had thought that her decision was final and there was nothing and no one that could change her mind. It was unethical and illegal, not to mention all of the time that Brigitte would have wasted if she were to go off and work for him and his employer. But when she had gone to check out the receptionist had handed her a business card from Arthur. Brigitte had been about to rip it up when she realized that there was writing on the back. _Call when you're ready._ That had led her to start to think in circles. Each con had a pro to go along with it, and she couldn't tell which option would lead to a better outcome. The question was never far from her mind even causing her to be restless in her sleep. She hated this Arthur character.

Brigitte ran a hand through her hair as if she were trying to push the thoughts away from her head. As she turned onto the street, two blocks from her apartment a car pulled up next to the curb. "Miss Thayer?" an accented voice asked in English from a cracked window in the back of the town car. Brigitte took a hesitant step closer to the car.

"Who's asking?" Brigitte asked keeping an authoritative tone in her voice. She was in charge here, sort of. She had a sinking feeling that this was somehow connected to the meeting at the hotel.

"I am an associate of sorts with Arthur. I would like to explain the offer more clearly." The man answered. Brigitte opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke again. "Please get in the car." Quickly Brigitte weighed her options, and then with a hope that she wasn't getting into a car with death, opened the door and slipped into the seat. She slammed the door close and then turned to look at the speaker. The man was Japanese if she was correct, and had combed black hair and a pristine suit on. If she were to accept this job, she would have to buy some new clothes.

"Before you start trying to persuade me into reconsidering, I want to warn you that there is very little chance that you will change my mind." Brigitte lied as the car pulled away from the curb.

"And why is that?" The man asked. Brigitte was a taken aback. She hadn't expected him to answer like that. This required more thought.

"You offer me a chance at revenge, but you don't think it through. You are really offering me a chance to spend more time with the last person on earth I want to see. You offer me money, but I already make enough to keep me satisfied. All of my hard work would be destroyed for others benefit. I cannot see any profit coming from this for me.

"Ah, but Miss Thayer," the man said with a furtive smile "we have much more to offer. My name is Mr. Saito. Perhaps you have heard of my company Proclus Global." There was no pause for her to actually answer his question. "Proclus Global was flourishing. We were going place no company has ever gone before, until we hit a little snag."

"Greenberg Enterprises?" Brigitte guessed. Saito nodded.

"You see Miss Thayer, I believe that our companies could have existed in tandem, perhaps even merging one day. However, they have pushed that idea out of the realm of possibility."

"And why is that?" Brigitte repeated his earlier question.

"They have been stealing my ideas by using one of my employees as a spy. All I want from you is to figure out who the spy is. All I want is what is fair."

"Mr. Saito, I think that we can both agree on the issue of Greenberg Enterprises' character, and I am very sorry that they have wronged you in such a way, but my wellbeing could be at risk here. If you knew the things that I've gone through because of that company…" Brigitte trailed off. She hated Greenberg Enterprises and wished she could do something to stop them maybe more than anyone else did. If the circumstances were different she would have been convinced and changed her answer to yes immediately, but they weren't. "I can't knowingly put myself in harm's way. Nothing you offer will ever change that." Brigitte refused gently.

"Nothing?" Saito asked mischievously. She slowly shook her head. "Not even the thing you want more than anything else in this world?" the feeling that he knew more than he was telling.

"The thing I want most in this world walked out of my life fifteen years ago." Brigitte responded.

"And if she were to walk back in?" Saito asked with a raised eyebrow, confirming her suspicions. "One phone call and I can find your mother. You will be reunited no matter the distance between you."

"How do I know that you'll make good on your offer?" Brigitte asked. The answer didn't matter. Her mind was already made up.

"You don't. You'll just have to take a leap of faith. Are you willing?"

"I am." Brigitte answered. Mr. Saito's smile now seemed to actually be genuine.

"Wonderful. Someone will meet you at 7:00 tomorrow morning."

"You know where I live?" Brigitte questioned feeling a bit uneasy.

"I believe that your apartment is here. Am I incorrect?" he asked. Brigitte looked out the window at her apartment building. They must have been driving around the block for awhile, and she didn't even notice it.

"This is it." Brigitte answered. "Shall I see you tomorrow?"

"No, but we will be in touch soon." He responded. "Goodbye, Miss Thayer." She opened the car door.

"Au revoir monsieur Saito." Brigitte said before getting out of the car. _"What have I gotten myself into?" _ she asked herself as he pulled away.

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**Author's Comment:: **Dun. Dun. Dun. So I'm still debating on who should meet her in the morning. Any preferences? I don't think I'll get a next chapter out before the end of the week, but I'm going to try to be better about this.


	5. Man of a Thousand Faces

**xDisclaimer:: **I'm fairly certain that by now you're aware of what I put here.

**Author's Note:: **I've been getting back into fan fictions, winding down from being super busy. So I'm sorry, this may be a little rusty as I'm trying to get back into it. Please forgive me. Anyway, here's the next update for this one. The song is "Man of a Thousand Faces" by Regina Spektor, purely for the name.

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Brigitte sat upright on the edge of her sofa cushion. Her fingers tapped gently against her tea cup, and her eyes gazed straight ahead out of the apartment window. She had gotten up earlier than she had to in order to get ready for this meeting with the people that she'd be working with for at least the next month. Her hair was pulled up into a sophisticated twisted bun, with only a few stray locks falling across her forehead. After spending twenty minutes rummaging through her closet the choice was narrowed down to a sleek gray dress that had long sleeves and ended right below her knees and a flowing navy blue dress with little white flowers on it. Ultimately, she decided that the blue dress was too casual. She wanted it to be clear that she was a professional, and after meeting Arthur and Mr. Saito, it was apparent that being well groomed was something valued amongst this team.

Yet, Brigitte was still having her doubts. She didn't regret making the decision she had, not yet anyway. It was just unclear as to whether or not she had made the _right _decision. "_I don't know what I'm doing. I've never stolen secrets from someone. I train them against this. I don't have to worry about where they're hidden, just that they're safe. Maybe I'm not right for the job. There are probably a hundred people out there who are more prepared and better skilled at this than I am. But, I gave them my word, and when a person makes a promise they have to keep it. What have I gotten myself into? Maybe it won't be that bad."_

A knock came from the door. Brigitte glanced at the clock, before slipping on her low heels and walking to the door. She didn't recognize the man in the hallway at all. He didn't seem like one of the team members either. He was dressed far too casually for that to be the case; he wasn't even clean shaven.

"Bonjour." She greeted. "Comment puis-je vous aider?" he looked very confused. So this man wasn't French either.

"Bonjour." He replied with a British accent. Hesitatingly, he added "Parlez vours anglais?"

"Yes. How can I help you?" Brigitte repeated, this time in English.

"I'm looking for Ms. Thayer." Brigitte almost shook her head, not recognizing the last name. And then she realized that he was simply mispronouncing her name. He was saying thay – err. She pronounced it closely to the way the English pronounced tay-yay.

"I am Ms. Thayer." She said, correcting him. He didn't catch on.

"Ms. Thayer. Good. Mind if we continue this in your apartment?" Why were so many people suddenly so interested in her? Was it all just a coincidence or were the boys at Greenberg Enterprises really up to something terrible?

"I'm actually about to meet someone here."

"I'm the person you're supposed to meet." Brigitte was doubtful but he seemed determined.

"Oh," she said. "In that case, come in." She walked back into the apartment, closing the door behind him. If he was lying and this went awry, Saito's team member should be here any minute to help her out. "Would you like some tea?" Brigitte offered.

"Please." The man nodded. Brigitte moved to the cabinet and took down a tea cup for her guest.

"Have a seat." She called over her shoulder, only to see that he was already sitting in the spot she had previously been in, despite the fact that her cup was still in front of her seat. She pursed her lips, but continued making the tea. Luckily the water was still hot from when she had last refilled her own cup. Brigitte took the finished tea over to him, picking up her cup from in front of him and taking it with her to one of her chairs, across from the sofa.

"You know my name but I don't know yours." Brigitte said after he finished a sip of tea.

"My name is Eames." The man stated, putting his feet up onto her coffee table.

"Eames." She repeated "It's nice to meet you. I'm Brigitte." He probably already knew, but it was the polite thing to say. "What can I do for you?" she asked, sipping her tea. She was testing whether or not he truly was the person she was supposed to meet.

"Saito sent me. He said that he had informed you that I was coming."

"Yes, of course. Just making sure you were a friend. You can never be too careful. Surely you'd agree if you're in this business." Brigitte drank from her own cup.

"Of course." Eames said dismissively. "Just be careful that precaution doesn't lead you to becoming a stick in the mud."

"Better a stick in the mud than being dead." Brigitte mused.

"You sound like Arthur. You need to learn to loosen up a little." Brigitte eyed him suspiciously. He hardly seemed like the type she pictured being on the team. It wasn't that he was Englishman. It was just, he was too relaxed. He was dressed in a nice long sleeved orange shirt, but the collar was popped and it was loosely tucked into pants. When he had sat down he had taken off his jacket and thrown it beside him. And he had his feet up on her coffee table. The way he spoke about life, it just seemed too different.

"So how many people are there on the team."

"Five, including you. Speaking of which, we should get going." Eames said pushing himself up off the couch and taking his jacket with him, putting it back on. He neglected to take up his tea cup, however on his walk over to the door.

"Yes, of course." Brigitte stood up, using her hand that wasn't already preoccupied with her own coffee cup to pick up Eames. She placed them both in the sink before walking out behind Eames and locking the door behind her.

The walk down the hall as well as the elevator ride were quiet. As they walked out the doors, Brigitte looked around for a limousine or car of some sort.

"It's this way." Eames said beginning to walk.

"We're walking?" Brigitte asked, caught off guard.

"Well of course." Eames walked backed to her.

"How far away is this?"

"Not too far. Only about a mile and a half away from here."

"A mile and a half?" Brigitte looked down at her shoes. It was going to hurt, but she couldn't take them off and she wasn't one to go back once she left.

"It's a nice day, you'll remember where it is if we walk, we can check more easily to see if anyone's tailing us, and it gives us more time to get to know each other." Eames smiled.

"Well since there's a good reason…" Brigitte said trailing off and starting to walk with him. This was the oddest first day on the job that she had ever experienced. She was unsure as to the dynamics with this team and how she'd fit in. Normally she was the honored guest, here she felt as if it wouldn't be the case. They all seemed to share some sort of secret. Arthur spoke so highly of Saito, and Eames had made a reference to Arthur's personality. Yet, they had tried so hard to bring her in, they obviously wanted her to work for them, but would she fit in? She didn't know what was required of her; she didn't know any of the people.

"Are you nervous?" it was if he was reading her thoughts.

"Would you like me to be honest, or are you just trying to make small talk?" Brigitte asked.

"They said you were sharp." Eames laughed. "I'd say a little bit of both."

"I am."

"We all are our first job. Don't be so worried, darling." Eames nodded.

"I take it you're a veteran then?" Brigitte asked.

"I'm the best at what I do." Eames nodded. "I have the greatest imagination of all the other Forgers."

"Forgers?" Brigitte had lived in such a small world of extraction. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm the best at what I do, but that requires very little knowledge of anything other than Extractors."

"A Forger is a sort of con artist. We make people think that we're something other than who we really are. We are masters of imitation. It's a fine art of getting down a person's mannerism precisely and in the dream world we can even forge someone's appearance. It may seem to be detail oriented, but that's the Point Man's job. All I have to do is dream big." Eames said. "Of course you'll have to be the real performer." He said, winking at her.

"The Point Man…who is that?"

"Arthur." Eames rolled his eyes. "And he does his job perfectly. He's about as imaginative as arithmetic."

"But does he have the reliability?" Brigitte asked.

"Once again I see you've got to the heart of the matter. You're a smart one, darling."

"I hope that you don't mind me asking, but you seem to think so little of Arthur. How is it that you get along? Are you that loyal to Saito?" Brigitte asked.

"We've worked together before Saito, and just because we work together doesn't mean that we have to get along."

"So you don't like each other?" Brigitte asked. "I don't want to be walking into a feuding team."

"Don't worry your head about it, Bridget." Eames said. Brigitte opened her mouth to correct him, but he continued. "Wrinkles don't suit a pretty face like yours. I'm not saying that we don't like each other, that's a requirement. When you've got our job, if you don't trust your team with your life, you're going to die. Or worse. Still nervous?"

Brigitte looked at him, calculating. "Undecided."They continued to walk the rest of the ways a little bit in silence. Eames was looking around them scouting. Brigitte looked around too. People were moving all around them. Even at 7:30 in the morning, Paris was alive. The beautiful, flowing language of French filled the air. As she walked by a bakery she heard a few American tourists trying to purchase some baked goods. Paris was absolutely beautiful; she loved her home. She glanced around at people's faces. Nobody made eye contact, or pointedly didn't make eye contact. It seemed as if they were safe.

"So you're British?" Brigitte asked Eames, stirring up the conversation again.

"Yes." Eames nodded.

"How do you like it? Do you love it there, or were you dying to get away?" she asked.

"It's home, so it has a special place in my heart, of course. But I travel a lot. The job requires it. Are you from around here?"

"I grew up with my grandparents in Neuilly-sur-Seine." Eames let out a low whistle.

"Glad I have friends in high places." Eames smiled. Brigitte smiled and looked at her feet. "So, your grandparents raised you?" he asked.

"My father, too." Brigitte looked back up to Eames. "My grandparents insisted that we move in with them, so they could give me a proper education and training on how to be a lady."

"Funny, you didn't strike me as the type who needed to be taught." Eames remarked. She assumed it was a joke. "Grace usually comes naturally, take it from me, darling. It's nearly impossible to Forge."

Brigitte's looked back to her feet and then up to where she was going, smiling.

"And your mum?" Eames asked. Her smile faded and she looked away from Eames.

"She's gone."

"Oh." Eames said, serious. "I'm sorry."

"C'est la vie." Brigitte said solemnlyThere was silence for a few tense seconds as they continued the rest of the way. Brigitte was about to open her mouth to say something, to show that she wasn't upset with him, but Eames beat her to the punch.

"We're here." Brigitte looked up at a large warehouse. It was in pretty good shape, but it was obvious that it wasn't used very often. Eames unlocked the door and held it open for her. "Coming?"

* * *

**Author's Comment:: **Everyone's finally going to be in one place! I hope to give an update sooner. Of course, I always say that. Comments are much appreciated. (They inspire me to write more and faster.) To hold you over, I highly recommend reading my Covenant fan fiction, Whispers in the Dark.


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